What I Ate, Berlin Style
April 9th, 2007 | Posted by Shannon
Berlin has every possible ethnic restaurant along with all the German places, not to mention a gazillion street stalls, bakeries, and street markets serving up all kinds of grub. You can literally eat 24/7 in Berlin. A lot of the food was just OK, some good, some great; though Berlin has the scope of a foodie destination like San Francisco, some of the end results are not so impressive. Am I a stuck-up snob? Yes. Did I let this hinder my trip? Hell no! I ate everything with gusto even if it sucked. Anyway.
Street food.
This is the famous “currywurst” of Berlin – a sausage fried and cut up with some sweet ketchupy stuff on top. Not sure where the curry was. It also came with fries and/or a roll. I liked it OK but I think I am a mustard/sauerkraut kind of person, and you know you can’t be in both camps. It’s one or the other. Also currywurst made my stomach feel icky, but that could be due to the fact that I never drank wine with it.
Now this is more my style. Not only because I had wine with it. It’s a long-ass bratwurst stuck into a hand-sized bun (for convenience) and not only was it almost three Euro less than the currywurst with fries, it was also grilled and served in a giant box around a guys neck. I wish I had a picture of the portable bratwurst cooker. Oh well, next time.
Yes, it is true, I actually took this shot on an escalator in a train station only because I did not want to ever forget the moment of biting into a croissant with a frankfurter in it. They have these at “Le Crobag,” a bakery that has stores in all the train stations and subway stops. My brother and I could not stop cracking up about the name of the bakery but, I have to say, these croissant thingies ROCKED. Some seriously tasty stuff, with or without mustard.
Ethnic food.
Yes it is also true that I ate Mexican food in Berlin. Now you have to remember that I was a stranger in this land, unfamiliar with the language, and sometimes on my own. Fortunately for me I know how to say “Enchiladas Suizas” in almost every language. Whether they turn out to actually BE Enchiladas Suizas is the difficulty. In this case, they weren’t quite, but I had a hangover and the salad, beans and rice (also the wine) were exactly what I needed to get me through another day (and night.)
Thai on the otherhand, they can do, probably because the food is cooked by actual Thai People. This was a place that Kasch took us to off the Kollwitzplatz, and it was awesome. A bottle of Beaujolais for only seven Euro! One GLASS of wine costs seven dollars at a Thai restaurant here. Bastardi… anyway they had the best Pad Thai ever.
Ah, the famous Monsieur Vuongs. I dragged Kasch and Tom there and while it was crowded, the food was very good and it was a great deal. This time my chicken curry was the best.
In other countries, American food can be exotic. At White Trash Fast Food, the burgers were really good (Tom and Kasch pounded theirs) but my burrito? Shannon, will you ever learn. Still, this place is hella fun.
Whoever guesses first why I loved this cafe will get a prize.
This was what I ate at the top of the Fernsehturm. It was a herring thing on top of potatoes and it wasn’t so good but who cares because LOOK AT THIS VIEW:
I wrangled together a nice picnic for our outing to Potsdam – cured meats, cheese, wine, cookies, and mustard in a tube. Also some little pepper thingies stuffed with cheese.
Kasch and I enjoying the dregs of our wine. I love wine, it just makes every experience so Very Extra Special.
Note to self: Never leave the house without German phrasebook. My last day I went to the KaDaWe department store with a bee in my bonnet to have a glass of champagne at the Moet & Chandon bar in that ginormous gourmet department there. I wandered and looked for what seemed to be an hour but could not find the bar so finally I sat at the counter of a stand that served potatoes in a million ways. Only – had no clue what they all were and wasn’t willing to admit that to the counterfella. So I ordered “champignons” and this is what I got. Right after I ordered I looked up and, THERE WAS THE MOET BAR. Oh well, this was good and also substantial. Not that I really needed anything that substantial but you gotta go with the flow.
Can’t wait to get back for more!
April 11th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
My first guess (why you like that cafe so much) is that you had wine. But then after further thought my guess is because it’s outside so no smoke.
April 12th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
if i know shannon…who is a red-blooded, forty-something american woman such as myself, i’d have to guess that you liked that cafe because of the hot dudes there….or “dudity” as i recently learned.
April 13th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
I thought about the fresh air/clean ashtray as well as the “dudity” but I’m gonna go with the green chairs are the same hue as her Beetle. What do I win?!